Notes / Commercial Description:
In 2006, Chris Carroll, a longtime member of Team Stone, took that adage literally, proposing that we produce a one-off version of our venerable Stone Smoked Porter made spicy from the addition of chipotle peppers. We gave it a shot and found that those smoked jalapeños melded quite naturally with the smoldery peat-smoked malt that gives the beer its flavor and moniker, creating a deep, roasty quaff with a carefully restrained tingle of tasteful capsaicin heat in the finish. The marriage of ingredients was so nice that it has become an annual summertime staple, released each May in honor of Carroll’s initial idea that Stone Smoked Porter w/Chipotle Peppers serve as an artisanal alternative to the industrialized adjunct-laden cerveza billed as the perfect fluid accompaniment to the sunny season. Cheers to variety and a quality alternative to mediocrity.

Reviews by RyanLaw:

More User Reviews:

Poured a deep chocolate brown with a bit of deep ruby showing thru when held up to the light,a thinner light beige head atop.Smoke and molasses really come into play in the nose,the chipotle provides mild smoke and heat.The body is a tad thin and doesn't hold up that well to the fuller flavors.A bit earthy upfront with light smoke and lightly sweet molasses notes rounding it out,the chili's come in the finish and after taste.It's not bad but it's not nearly as good as the standard smoked porter,the vanilla was not anything earth shattering either.

Found this one in Toledo and couldn't pass it up - the regular Smoked Porter is one of my favorite Stone brews. This one pours a deep, crow-black with some very, very dark brown tints right at the edges. The khaki head shows nice retention and leaves plenty of that "signature" Stone lacing.

Bringing the glass anywhere near your nose unleashes an army of smoked malts into your senses - I don't think there's any surprise there. A very "hearty" smoke aroma; meaty, in a way - almost like the smell given off by smoked sausage and bacon. Very nicely balance between "not enough smoke" and "too much smoke" - there seems to be just the right amount, something I fell in love with about their original Smoked Porter. The chilies are noticeable, but seemingly only at the tail end. They provide a nice spiciness, but remain pretty low in character overall.

I take a taste and of course it reminds me of the non-chipotle version. Actually, for about the first few sips or so, this beer is probably indistinguishable with the original. Good, liquid smoke flavors coming from the smoked malts with a lightly smoked meatiness to it. The chipotle doesn't come out until the very tail end, just like in the aroma, and even then - it still takes many successive sips to settle in. Mild spiciness, chili powder, and chipotle seasoning attach themselves to the back of your tongue. Halfway down the glass, your palate has a solid spicy coating that will stick with you until minutes after you've finished the beer. A nice addition, and done in a pretty masterful way - providing good spice without being "spicy", so to speak. Medium mouth feel, lightly creamy with ample carbonation.

The chipotle was a nice, fun addition that added a slight bit of heat to the palate throughout the entire course of the beer. Overall, though, I'd rather just have the regular Smoked Porter. At the end of the day, Stone has created an elegant porter with plenty of nice smokey and malty flavors - why cover it up with chipotle?

O - I had this and the vanilla version on draft at a Stone event awhile ago, and remember liking this version quite a bit more. The bottled versions confirm that (though I enjoyed the bottled vanilla more than the draft version). I appreciated the subtle roasted pepper heat, and it worked very well with the base beer.

I had this beer on tap while touring the Stone Brewery. This is by far the best smokey beer I have ever had. I found this beer to be nothing short of perfection.

A: This hold a beautiful black color virtually identical to the standard smoked porter. Light brown head left a nice lacing.

S: Very smokey, very peppery. Little roasted malt in there, but the smell gets its power from the peppers.

T: I like the smoked porter a lot, but the after taste never really did it for me. The peppers in this are the perfect remedy. Up front, you get an amazing smokey flavor, easily paired with any style of BBQ. The spice in the aftertaste warms your throat very comfortably. There are some spicy beers that are killed by the heat (Cave Creek Chill for one). This is the best balance of flavor and heat I've ever seen in a beer. I was genuinely astonished by this beer's quality.

D: I can drink this nonstop. The heat isn't enough to make it unenjoyable. It's not to heavy, it's not syrupy, it's essentially the perfect smoked pepper porter.

Stone has always been one of the breweries that I've respected. This beer might have thrown them to the top of my list. I am proud to say that I was fortunate enough to drink this beer. Great job Stone! You really hit the ball out of the park with this one!

The beer pours a dark brown color with a tan head. The aroma has a lot of chocolate, as well as some earthiness and smokiness from the chipotle peppers. The flavor follows suit. I get some light heat from the peppers, as well as some chocolate and roasted malt. The heat lingers for a while after drinking but it doesn't overpower the other notes. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.